Spike puller



April 13 1926.

A. M LAIN SPIKE FULLER Filed May 12, 1925 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

re ns.

ANDREW IVICLAIN, F CARNEGEE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEIKE FULLER.

Application filed Iviay 12, 1925. Serial No. 29,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW i'vloLArN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carnegie, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spike Pullers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invent-ion relates to spike pullers of l the type commonlyemployed for pulling the spikes out of railroad cross-ties, but may be useful in other ways.

The invention has for its object the provision of a structure wherein the fulcrum member which is employed with the draw bar is held against slipping, through a connection to the bar itself instead of by toothed projections for engagement with a tie upon which the device is placed.

Another object of my invention is to pro vi d e a puller and a fulcrum therefor of such form that a maximum leverage is provided to impart initial movement to the spike being pulled.

simplify and improve generally the struc ture and operation of devices of the char-- acter referred to.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a draw bar and a fulcrum embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing in full and dotted lines, respectively, the positions assumed by the bar during the pulling of a spike; Fig. 3 is a modification of the devices of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fule crum of Figs. 1 and 2.

I have shown my apparatus as employed in connection with a railroad tie ports arail 6 which is held in the tie bya spike 7. A vided with the usual claws or teeth for en gaging beneath the head of a spike. A grab bar 9 is pivotally attached tothe draw bar 8 and is provided with a locking member which may be adjustably positioned longitudinally of the bar 9 by means ofa wedge 11. When the bar 9 and the member 10 occupy the position shown in Fig. 2, the draw bar 8 is held against movement away from the rail.

A fulcrum block 12 is pivotally connected to the draw bar 8 by means of links 18 which position upon Still another object of my invention is to 5 that supdraw bar 8 is pro-- A are pivotally connected to the blocks 12 and at their upper ends have pivotal and lost motion connection with the bar 8, so that pulling strains will not be imparted to the links by the bar, when the bar is being operated as shown in Fig. 2.

The block 12 is provided with a curved lug or boss 14 adjacent to its forward end,

which co-operates with a curved recess 15 in the draw bar 8.

When the bar 8 is tilted to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1, the fulcrum block 12 will swing to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the bar 8 may be moved to the left, to the position shown in dotted lines. At this point an upward pull will be exerted upon the spike 7. The bar 8 at this time fulcrums upon the nose 14 and therefore exerts a very great lifting force upon the spike. As the bar 8 is swung to the position indicated in dotted lines, the spike is of course raised still further but the leverage required to easily move the same is not so great.

The bar-engaging surface of the fulcrum block which is engaged by the bar when it reaches the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is preferably flat so that there is rolling contact between the block and the bar, thereby avoiding unnecessary friction.

An important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the nose portion 14: prevents the fulcrum block 12 from slipping away from the rail while the spike is being pulled, and in fact tends to urge the block toward the rail. This avoids the necessity of teeth or projections upon the underside of the block which would form indentations in the tie and permit water to accumulate therein.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification wherein the parts 14 and 15 of Figs. 1 and 2'are reversed. That is, the bar 8 is provided with a nose or boss 15 that co-operates with a recess 1 1 in the fulcrum block to thereby provide additional leverage at the I start of the pull and to prevent slippage of the fulcrum block.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spike puller comprising a draw-barhaving claws and a curved bearlng surface extending rearwardly of the claws, a fulcrum block having a flat bearing surface substantially coextensive with the firstnamed bearing surface, and inter-engaging portions on said bearing surfaces, for preventing relative sliding movement of said draw-bar and "fulcrum block;

2. A spike puller comprising a draw-bar having claws and a curved bearing surface extending rearwardly of the claws, a fulcrum block having a flat bearing surface substantially coextensive With the first named bearing surface, and inter-engaging portions adjacent to the forward edges of said bearing surfaces, for preventing relative sliding movement of said draw-bar and fulcrum block.

A spike puller comprising a draw-bar having claws and a curved bearing surface extending rearwardly of the claws, a fulcruin block having a flat bearing surface substantially coextensive with the firstnamed bearing surface, and inter-engagini" portions adjacent to the forward edges or said bearing surfaces, for preventing relative sliding movement of said draw-bar and l'ulcruin, the bearing surface on said block being inclined upwardly from its forward end.

In testimony whereof I the said ANDREW LIcLAIrr have hereunto set my hand.

ANDREYVV Mc-LAIN. 

